Habits of a Highly Effective Person – Part 7

Welcome to the seventh and final part on Habits of Highly Effect People by Stephen R Covey.

In this series we will look at seven habits, identified by Covey, designed to help you to change your lifestyle, and in return, become a highly effective person. This resource intends to give a useful overview of these ideas, and will hopefully inspire you to read the book in full

Habit 7. Sharpen the saw

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and i will spend the first four sharpening the axe” – Abraham Lincoln

At the start at of chapter 7 we get a story that shows us the importance of this habit:

Suppose you were to come upon someone in the woods working feverishly to saw down a tree.

“What are you doing?” you ask.

“Can’t you see?” comes the impatient reply. “I’m sawing down this tree.”

“You look exhausted!” you exclaim. “How long have you been at it?”

“Over five hours,” he returns, “and I’m beat! This is hard work.”

“Well, why don’t you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen that saw?” you inquire. “I’m sure it would go a lot faster.”

“I don’t have time to sharpen the saw,” the man says emphatically. “I’m too busy sawing!” 

Covey states that sharpening the saw is about refreshing & renewing four dimensions of our nature: Physical, Spiritual, Mental & Social/Emotional. If we do this, Covey says we will become more effective in our life’s work. It’s about working smarter not harder.

1 – Physical

This is ensuring your body has the strength it needs to take on life’s demands. You’re not going to be very productive if you are tired all the time.

• Exercising
• Eating Right
• Getting enough sleep each night.

These three things can help you go a long way in keeping you physically sharp. Once you feel like you have control of those three areas, figure out other ways to keep your physicality sharp.

2 – Spiritual

It can be easy to neglect our spiritual life, we don’t notice it as much and instead focus on what we can see. But neglect it for too long and it will catch up to you. I’m sure you will have got to a point where you have just been procrastinating on social media, and all of a sudden thought “what am i doing?” Or when we are reminded of our sense of purpose & mortality when someone we know passes away. 

No matter if you are Atheist, Agnostic or Theist; you can train your soul through spiritual discipline.

• Pray,
• Fast from food,
• Spend time in nature
• Attend Religious services.

By spending some time each day sharpening the spiritual side of your life, it can help to magnify your capacity for work.

3 – Mental

“Change is the master key. A man can wear out a particular part of his mind by continually using it and tiring it . . . the tired parts of the mind can be rested and strengthened, not merely by rest, but by using other parts. It is not enough merely to switch off the lights which play upon the main and ordinary field of interest; a new field of interest must be illuminated . . . It is only when new cells are called into activity . . . that relief, repose, refreshment are afforded.” – Winston Churchill

Most jobs are largely mind work, where the same thing is repeated over and over, day after day, week after week, month after month. It never changes. But as the Mr Churchill puts it, the best way to sharpen our saw isn’t to turn off our mind, but to give it something different. Give it something fresh and rejuvenating.

• Read a book
• Visit a museum
• Watch a documentary
• Listen to a podcast
• Study something new.

Fuel your brain’s recovery and sharpen your mental blades.

4 – Social/Emotional

Some of us are introverts, and some of us extroverts, however humans are social animals. socialising helps us to curb depressive feelings and can help to reduce stress. Interacting with others helps us to learn new ideas and refine our own.

• Go out for lunch with a friend
• Join a sports team
• Host a games night
• Get rid of toxic people from your life
• Write a letter to someone important to you.

Even though Covey suggests that Emotional & Social can be put together, they can be treated separately. Emotional balance is important and so must be an area of focus.

• Visit a therapist
• Practice deep breathing
• Meditate
• Keep a gratitude journal.

No matter which one of the four you are trying to sharpen, we need to find the time to sharpen them. Remember in habit 3 “Put first things first” we talked about different rocks. Make sharpening the saw a big rock. For some of us self-care tends not to be a big rock; and that we only do it if we have the time. But if you don’t make sharpening the saw a priority in your life; it will never happen.

As you plan your coming weeks, set out time for this habit. If a conflicting activity comes up, then be integral, say that you don’t have time, and find a different time to compete said activity. (Obviously life-threatening emergencies can be prorated over sharpening the saw). We need to protect our sharpening time. Never feel guilty about saying no to people when it comes to your self-care.

You may not have all the free time in the world, but Covey suggests that you start small. Spend an hour a day sharpening some of the 4 saws we have talked about. But if you only have 10 minutes then do that. Start small and get bigger.

Remember with habit 6 “synergise”, use that and see if you can sharpen the saw with something else.

So, there we have it, our summary of the final habit of highly effective people, as identified by Stephen R Covey.

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